Outer container housing swingably supported inner target container

ABSTRACT

The game includes at least one large transparent container and at least one smaller transparent container resiliently and swingably supported within the larger container and provided with an opening. A play piece is located within the larger container; it is of a shape and size which will make it possible for a player to move it between the two containers and to drop it into the opening of the smaller container.

United States Patent [19] Tracy [11] 3,743,292 1451 July 3, 1973 OUTER CONTAINER HOUSING SWINGABLY SUPPORTED INNER TARGET CONTAINER Inventor: CharlesH. Tracy, 30 Diacons Lane, Wilton, Conn. 06897 221 Filed: Nov. 10,1971 21 Appl.No.: 197,265

[52] U.S. Cl 273/95 R, 273/105.2, 273/113 [51] Int. Cl A63b 71/02 [58] Field of Search 273/95 R, 101, 105 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,1 l7,787 1/1964 Stutzke 273/101 4/1969 Edwards 273/101 1/1896 Smith et al 273/101 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oe chsle .Assistam Examiner-Marvin Siskind Att0rneyV. Alexander Scber et al.

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT The game includes at least one large transparent container and at least one smaller transparent container resiliently and swingably supported within the larger container and provided with an opening. A play piece is located within the larger container; it is of a shape and size which will make it possible for a player to move it between the two containers and to drop it into the opening of the smaller container.

1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure PATENIEDJuL 3 1913 //v VEN 7'02 CHA I21. :15 H.. TQAC'Y liowdls A r rag/v5 Ks OUTER CONTAINER HOUSING SWINGABLY SUPPORTED INNER TARGET CONTAINER This invention relates to a game. It is a variant of the game described in my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 112,1 14, now patent number 3,700,241, filed Jan. 8, 1971.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a game which may be played by one or several players and which will require or develop a certain amount of dexterity, handling skill and other qualities in the player or players.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to provide a game, a unit of which consists of at least two transparent containers located one within the other and spaced one from the other so that a suitable passage is provided between the containers. The containers are preferably rectangular in shape and may be made of thin plastic material, so that they are light in weight and easy to handle. The inner container is mounted upon an axle engaged by springs the other ends of which are fixed to inner surfaces of the outer container. Thus when the outer container is moved or turned the inner container may revolve or swing in differentdirections. The inner container has an opening provided upon one of its sides and inside the outer container there is a ball which fits into that opening.

The purpose of the game is to move the ball through the passage between the two containers and to introduce it into the opening.

Obviously the containers may be of various shapes and'their number may be varied. The ball may be replaced by a play piece of a different shape. When the game is played by several players, it may be enhanced by using play pieces of different colors.

- The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing the sole FIGURE of which shows in perspective a game constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The drawingshows a single game unit which includes an outer rectangular box and an inner rectangular box 11. Both boxes are hollow and are made of a suitable light transparent material. An axle 12 extends through suitable openings provided on opposite sides of the inner box and has ends extending beyond the inner box. The openings are slightly larger than the axle so that the inner box 11 can conveniently revolve about the axle 12. The inner box is suspended within the outer box by two coiled springs 13 and 14. Each spring has one end connected with a projecting end of the axle 12. A peg 15 is fixed to an inner surface of the outer box and carries an end of the spring 13. Another peg 16 is fixed to an opposite inner surface of the outer box and carries an end of the spring 14.

In the illustrated embodiment the pegs l5 and 16 are located opposite each other but are slightly shifted relatively to the opposed ends of the axle 12. Thus the coiled springs 13 and 14 extending between the axle and the pegs will be somewhat curved.

This construction provides a variety of movements between the inner box and the outer box when the outer box is moved in various directions by the player. The inner box may turn upon its axle 12 but it may also wiggle and wobble in various directions due to the provision of springs 13 and 14.

The inner box 11 has an opening 17 preferably located in the middle of one of its surfaces. In the exam- -ple illustrated, the game is played by means of a ball 18 located within the outer box 10. The purpose of the game is to manipulate the unit-until the ball 18 will drop into the inner box 11 through the opening 17 and then to try to get it out of the inner box. Obviously the passages between the boxes must be large enough to allow free movement of the ball.

As already stated, various changes may be made in the disclosed construction. In addition to changing the shape and the number of the boxes, the shape of the play piece may be changed and several play pieces of different colors may be used by the players.

I claim;

1. A game, comprising anouter transparent container, at least one inner transparent container, means resiliently and swingably supporting said inner container within said outer container while providing passages between the two containers, and at least one play piece within said passages, said inner container having an opening through said play piece may enter said inner container, said means comprising an axle extending through said inner container, said inner container being swingably mounted upon said axle, two coiled springs,

each of said springs having an end engaging a separate end of said axle, and pegs carried by inner surfaces of said outer container and engaging opposite ends of said springs, said pegs being out of alignment with said axle. t l I t 

1. A game, comprising an outer transparent container, at least one inner transparent container, means resiliently and swingably supporting said inner container within said outer container while providing passages between the two containers, and at least one play piece within said passages, said inner container having an opening through said play piece may enter said inner container, said means comprising an axle extending through said inner container, said inner container being swingably mounted upon said axle, two coiled springs, each of said springs having an end engaging a separate end of said axle, and pegs carried by inner surfaces of said outer container and engaging opposite ends of said springs, said pegs being out of alignment with said axle. 